They are hardworking, friendly, disciplined and have talents in technology and calculations. Half of the Vietnamese employees in my company study something after work to improve their skills although they are busy with family. Taking extra classes when you are employed full time is not common in my country.
I am touched to know some employees often get together to visit sick colleagues. This is a big plus because we hardly do that in the US, except if that person is very close.
Besides, I think Vietnamese are quite disciplined because I have never seen anyone smoking or chatting during work hours. I am also delighted to see them participating in all activities organized by the company. They have changed my old thinking that Asians did not like attending company events like Westerners.
On the other hand, I still have some concerns towards Vietnamese workers:
Many people have yet to set long-term plans in their life. They only work to fulfill small goals in life. Some employees have taken up foreign language or computer classes but soon gave up. Then when they feel like it, they would study from the beginning again. I think this is a waste of time and efforts.
Above all, I notice many people are nosy at work. I remember getting angry knowing that my employees use lunch breaks to spread rumors about someone, causing confusion in the company. This resulted in distraction at work and distrust among company members. In the West, people also talk behind your back in the office. However, they try to find a way to solve the problem by straightforward conversations.
Last but not least, Vietnamese often take their family members as an excuse for their mistakes or unpunctuality at work. An employee once told me that his son was sick and hospitalized, so he could not complete an assigned job on time. A month later, I talked to his wife at a party and learned that he had only one son who was studying in Singapore and only got back home once every summer. I was so shocked that he made up such a story and lied to me.
Vietnamese employees have both good and bad points. I hope they will continue their good points as well as improve from their bad points to make themselves a better person at work, especially in foreigners’ eyes.
Robert M. (American manager)
Business & Investment Opportunities
YourVietnamExpert is a division of Saigon Business Corporation Pte Ltd, Incorporated in Singapore since 1994. As Your Business Companion, we propose a range of services in Consulting, Investment and Management, focusing three main economic sectors: International PR; Healthcare & Wellness;and Tourism & Hospitality. We also propose Higher Education, as a bridge between educational structures and industries, by supporting international programs. Sign up with twitter to get news updates with @SaigonBusinessC. Thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment